(8/10/11)SAN FRANCISCO – Today the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency signed an agreement with Western Environmental
Inc. and Waste Reduction Technologies to eliminate potential
noxious odors that could affect surrounding communities. Western
Environmental Inc. and Waste Reduction Technologies are waste
handling, recycling and composting facilities located on the
Cabazon Reservation, near Mecca, Calif.

“Today’s agreement includes binding
commitments for the facilities to identify and eliminate the odors
that have plagued Mecca,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s
Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “Our
efforts are part of a collaboration with the Cabazon Tribe to
ensure that the facilities operate in a way that protects human
health. We are also coordinating our actions with the State of
California to respond to the concerns of the local
residents.”

The agreement supersedes EPA’s initial
May 2011 order issued to address the immediate public health
concerns. The new order fine tunes the initial order, and adds the
threat of financial penalties if the facilities do not comply.
Western Environmental Inc. and Waste Reduction Technologies are
required to:

·Complete
installation of an odor-control misting system

·More
thoroughly identify incoming wastes for potential
odors

·Measure and
record the levels of potential odor-causing substances

·Implement
handling measures to control any additional odors if they
occur

·Only accept
incoming soil and other materials consistent with the approved work
plan